"Relinquishing his air-conditioned quarters in favor of a sweltering September afternoon, Mets manager Terry Collins trudged down to Sun Life Stadium's visitors' bullpen in Miami, eager for the spectacle to begin. Members of Collins' training and coaching staffs were already there. By the time Johan Santana began throwing his warmup pitches, several teammates had joined the burgeoning audience.

Clustered toward one end of a near-empty stadium, this was hardly the largest crowd to watch Santana on his road back from left shoulder surgery, but it was easily the most entranced. These were the folks with the most invested in Santana's shoulder. These were the folks most eager to see him succeed.

These were the folks without answers."